Last Post 355 days 2 hours ago
28 June 2012 23:14:24
Thanks for 'mending' the site. But could you ever get the comment box to return to the original size? Writing and keeping track of what you write is very difficult in this tiny box.Thank you
28 June 2012 15:40:23
Last night was something else here in Cork torrential rain which has done quite a lot of damage but nothing I can do about it. Hope others were not as badly hit. More due at any second!!!
28 June 2012 15:36:33
Sunday the 8th draws closer and I would really appreciate if anybody coming to my Open day would PM me. Some know where to find me but I will PM directions to those who seek my hideout! It would be a help if you could say whether you know how to get to Fota Wild life park as I am quite close to there but if not I will provide the best directions I can and give my mobile phone number. The red carpet will be out for all and it would be great if anybody who has not met with many iers could come and join us for a cuppa and chat.
There is parking at the top of the hill past my house , they used to store sugar beet there, and I will gladly provide a shuttle service back up the hill.!!
I would suggest about 2pm is a good time and stay as long as you like!
As I am sure there will be a flood of postings now we are back on the air forgive me if I post this again tomorrow as it will probably get buried:)
24 June 2012 12:32:07
If anybody sees the Dahlia 'David Howard' in a nursery could I ever ask you to buy it for me, that is if there is any chance of getting it here directly or by relay!! Hope you don't mind me making this request but I have been looking for it over the past few years.
No doubt as these things happen the next time I am in a nursery it will be sitting up grinning at me! But two or three would be most welcome so no problem. Thank you.
20 June 2012 15:18:40
My wheelbarrow wheel has been flat for several weeks. Great excuse not to gather up all the rubbish. So yesterday I went to the garage and tried to put air in it. No good just went in and out. Knew it had something to do with the rim. So today I headed out to one of these garages that thankfully seem to be always busy and have rescued me and flat tyres a few times. I did feel a bit stupid heading towards this busy place with lorries and vans lined up for attention. But clutching my little wheel I headed forth and was met by a very large gent who took one look and shouted out to his mate...' Hi John look here we have a big contract coming in'. Dont know it was so spontaneous from him that there is a grin on my face ever since. Anyhow the trick is apparently to give the tyre a hard wallop to get it back on the rim! So with inflated tyre and no charge I headed home in a right good humour.
19 June 2012 19:18:48
This evening CorkTony arrived here with bags of horse errrrrr droppings for me. Now a lovely day no doubt he was at work and then he goes to his friend and fills bags and brings them down to me. The kindness of people here continues to amaze me, how lucky to have a group like this. Thanks so much Tony I hope you know how much I appreciate it.
18 June 2012 01:05:24
Have you ever had a flower bed that you just can't get right!! I have a round bed not very big that is a big challenge. For the first two years after I built it there was no scheme at all and it looked grotty. So out with the plants and in with Sedum' Autumn Joy'. This is the answer I think a circle of nice grey foliage and then the impact when they flower. But to my surprise even though it went according to plan it still was wrong. So this year out with the Sedum, not easy as you know it spreads so much. Next plan for this year was a Pastel bed, pale coloured flowers sort of dainty! I rooted loads of Lamium Nancy Ann? which was to cover the base and planted such as Pulmonaria Diane Clare, pale purple Penstemon, White Campanula, pink Geranium , pale yellow Achillea etc and it is probably my worst theme!!! Granted all the individual plants are lovely especially a giant Verbascum in the centre, white and one Hosta kindly gave me. One thing sure is that nobody could consider that bed to be Dainty!!! So what is my next idea? Come Autumn out with all the plants and in with Tete a Tete daffodils and Tulips to be followed much later by Nepeta , lots of it so the whole bed is blue. Or maybe someone who is coming to my Open day will come up with a much better plan, it will be welcome:)
16 June 2012 11:53:29
Just come in from my first tour of the garden for 6 days. I am not going to list the flattened plants we all have these, sadly. But it is the WEEDS I honestly don't know how I am going to start removing them ; it is a sad boast that I have never been in a garden where such a huge variety of weeds flourish dock and brambles in particular love living here. Wonder if there is a competition for the weediest garden.
15 June 2012 19:49:26
While visiting Mary Walsh's garden recently I was reminded of the importance ( I think) of having shrubs in borders. My first border has shrubs in it and there is still room for many perennials. The two new borders Blue one and hope to be Hot one while they are pretty well filled for new areas do not have enough shrubs. In Mary's garden though for various reasons she has not been able to devote much time to it over the past few years the structure and general appearance is still great because of clever shrub planting. The only shrub I have in the Blue border is a Ceratostigma which is not doing well. I have a small plug plant of Babtista australis which will probably go in there too. Me thinks there will be a lot of moving and replacing in the Autumn.
There is an advantage too having shrubs as one gets older as the borders should be easier to keep when the joints start creaking!
So I have not put enough emphasis on Mixed borders and need to rectify this situation. No more perennials will be bought but much thought will go into a choice of suitable shrubs.
14 June 2012 22:11:00
Whatsit
Growing in a friends garden .
14 June 2012 19:25:38
Home again,
...................................... nearly finished an account of my travels and the ................journal vanishes.
Wonderful three days in West Cork with great weather until this morning when all hell broke loose and a gale hit the Mizen area where we were staying. Incredible. Not great driving conditions!!
Anyway first place we went was the Ewe sculptor garden an amazing place and so worth a visit. Not a garden per se but so fascinating . Built on a wooded hillside around a marvellos waterfall. Sculptures everywhere , a lot of recycled material and food for thought ! Leaving it is like departing from another World. Do look at the website as the pictures there give an idea of this creation. Very steep and uneven steps at places but don't miss it if you are in the area.
Then Called to Phemie Rose who has a wonderful garden with a dedicated exotic area and Hostas so big they are like trees. She is a fab seed grower and has unusual plants many S. African which she grows from seed. Bought some plants there , I know some of you have visited here.
Then my dear friend Mary Walsh with the wonderful garden metres from the sea. As ever she had an unusual plant for me Buddleia salviiflora . The picture is of two of the giant Agaves in the garden , her Watsonias were wonderful and Cannas and Ginger survive in abundance.
So back home but it was so wet there was no way of touring my place to admire the weeds!!
09 June 2012 00:17:24
Anybody know what a seedling of this looks like? I got some from Bruno months ago but had no luck , then I ordered Bomarea caldasii seeds and sowed them over three months ago. Nothing happened and indeed sometimes the pots dried out but for some reason did continue to water them. But today I spot in one pot a strong looking 'stalk' about an inch tall which does not look at all like a weed could it be one has germinated after all this time? What do the seedlings look like is important to find out.
08 June 2012 16:05:37
I do know we are all suffering from the rain and horrific wind today so my sympathy goes out to everyone. Here a lot of damage, Delphiniums hit by branch and destroyed, Lupins, many hardy Geraniums, clematis etc knocked to the ground. So sad when many plants were starting to bloom. So Nature having treated us to a mild Winter seems to be having a giggle at us now!!
07 June 2012 19:10:59
Seeds not my greatest success!! But it all went well with Golden Agastache and there I was with this tray of seedlings that Monty would be proud of , even growth, hundreds of them a thing of beauty!! I potted on about 10 a few weeks ago, the others grew and prospered in their confined space . Could I throw them out , no these were my pride and joy but thousands of seedlings to pot up, not on. So today I had a chat with them and told them they had to face the great outdoors but would have company. I headed forth and found about 6 gaps and into each space went a big clump of seedlings must have been about 30 in each clump. It will be interesting to see if they survive or become slug fodder but at least they have a chance. Do you do seedling planting in clumps if you have too many?
06 June 2012 19:33:19
Valerian
Yes it has taken ages to get these pics up. Have about another 10 but need a rest
05 June 2012 17:10:25
I wonder if anyone would be interested in recording their longest flowering perennials this Summer. I know we have different growing conditions but it would give some indication of the best value flowering plants. Perhaps from now until the end of August would be a good period to evaluate. Deadheading will make a difference so maybe a note could be made as to whether you are a good deadheader or not!! Selfish motives I confess because at this stage of my life I would like to have big clumps of long flowering perennials rather than seeing what I can move into gaps. Of course we would have to like the plants and not just pick them for longevity.
I will propose many Hardy geraniums as the best value in my garden over many years here and in my last garden. In particular the Sanguinems and a bigger one called Claridge Druce. Actually you can have these great plants flowering from early May , Renardii then Phaeums, and so on until November when Rozanne is still flowering away.
03 June 2012 17:21:23
Corydalis MP
This is a lovely shade of blue with flowers on tall stems. Apparently it is scented but was too far down for me to bend and sniff and the grass is too wet to kneel on but I will test it later in the week.!
03 June 2012 17:18:24
Antirrhinums
It is hard to beat this old fashioned plant for colour, I do love it. These survived the Winter and though some are a bit straggly at the base the flowers glow.
02 June 2012 18:47:26
Could anybody please explain to me the garden with the purple and white Foxgloves and bird houses on the back wall. What was it like in reality and what was it called please and thank you.